Chair.



- 0. J. 'BIGELOW.

CHAIR.

gApplicaticn filed June 6, 1899.,

Patented Sept. I2, 1899.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES v INVENTOR L|THO.. WASHINGTON a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

DON .l. BIGELOW, OF MEDINA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO S. A. COOK d: 00., OFSAME PLACE.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,832, datedSeptember 12, 1899. Application filed June 6,1899. Serial No. 719,581.(No model.)

To all whom, it inrty concern.-

Be it known that I, DON J. BIGELOW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Medina, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The improvements which constitute my present invention are particularlyadapted for application to a style of chair known as a Turkish chairthatis to say, a heavilyupholstered swinging-back lounging-chair; and itconsists of improvements in the springoperated mechanism connected withthe swinging back for normally maintaining the latter in an uprightposition and in improvements in the construction of the frame of thechair, so as to support and conceal such mechanism.

Figure 1 is a side view of the frame of the chair stripped ofupholstery, the near side board 4 being removed to expose thespringoperat-ing mechanism for the swinging back. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, illustrating but one side ofthe chair-frame. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken through theclamping-nut and the parts immediately associated therewith.

In the drawings, A represents the seatframe of the chair, B the swingingback, which is at its lower end united to the seat frame by hinges b,and O the arms. These parts are in the style of chair represented,heavily upholstered, so that no portion of the framework is exposedexcept the lower ends cealed to a great extent by a fringe or skirtingof the upholstery.

In a chair of the character just described the swinging back is veryheavy owing to the amount of upholstery it carries and the character ofthe frame necessary to properly support the same, and for this reason ithas been found difficult to provide spring-open ating mechanism for theback which shall have sufficient power to properly swing the back fromany position of inclination which may be given to its upright position,which shall not be liable to get out of order, and which may be soarranged as that it does not in anywise mar the artistic appearance ofthe legs, and these latter are usually con of the chair.- The mechanismwhich I have invented possesses all of the desirable features justsuggested, and I will nowdescribe such mechanism, confining mydescription to the parts on one side of the chair, it being understoodthat the parts are duplicated and connected with the swinging back oneither side, so that the latter shall be moved without any tendency totwisting or straining.

The spring mechanism is mounted Within the arms 0 of the chair, the onlyparts of the mechanism exposed being the clamping-nuts 17 and the rearends of the links 9.

2 represents a side rail of the seat-frame extending between the frontand rear legs, and 3 a horizontally outward-projectin gshelflike piecesecured to the rail 2 near its lower edge. The uprights 5 and 6 of thearm-frame rise from the shelf-like piece 3 and have secured to theirupper ends the armrest 7.

1 represents an outer face plate or board secured to the uprights 5 and6. As shown in Fig. 2, there is a recess or cavity formed between theside rail 2 and this face-piece 4, and in this recess are mounted anupright lever 8 and the controlling-spring 10, connected thereto and tosome stationary part of the frame. connected with the swinging back by alink 9, which is preferably curved, as shown in Fig. 1, and extendsthrough a slot 13 in the rear upright 5 of the armframe. The

The upper end of the lever is spring 10 is preferably a stiff coiledspring and is connected at one end to the upright 6 and at its other endto an eyebolt or other adjusting means connected with the lever at aconsiderable distance below its upper end.

In chairs of the character referred to it is found most desirable to beable to adjust the tension of the back-operating spring, and to securesuch adjustment I preferably employ a screw-threaded eyebolt 11, whichpasses through the lever 8 at a point approximately midway between itsends and has mounted on its screw-threaded portion an adjustingnut 12.By means of the construction just described it is possible to employ astrong and stiff coiled spring to which an undue amount of movement isnot imparted by the movements of the back and to adjust the tension ofsuch spring with great accuracy and with ease. The spring adjustingmeans which I have just described are those which I prefer to employ;but other devices for the same purpose might be used in their steadwithout departing from the principle of my invention.

The link 9, connecting the lever 8 with the swinging back, is preferablyslotted at 14, and a screw-threaded rod or post 16, supported bybrace-piece 15 of the arm-frame, extends through such slot and hassupported upon its outer screw-threaded end an exposed clamp ing-nut 17.It will be seen that by means of the clamping devices just described theback may be secured in any position to which it may be adjusted.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In a chair, the combination of a swinging back, of an upright levermounted in the arm-frame, a link connecting the upper end of the leverwith the chair-back, and a spring, independent of the said lever, andconnected therewith, and with a stationary part of the chair-frame,substantially as set forth.

2. In a chair, the combination with a swinging back, of an upright levermounted in the arm-frame, a link connecting the upper end of the leverwith the back, and a coiled spring arranged between a stationary part ofthe chair-frame, and approximately the middle portion of the said lever,substantially as set forth.

3. In achair, the combination with a swinging back, of an arm-framehavingaside rail, 2, the uprights, 5 and 6, and the outer face plate orboard, 4, there being a chamber or cavity between the board, 4, and therail, 2, an upright lever mounted at its lower end in said cavity orchamber, a link connecting the upper end of the lever with the back, anda coiled spring, also mounted in said cavity or chamber, and connectedwith the lever, sub stantially as set forth.

4. In a chair, the combination with a swinging back, of an uprightlever, a link connecting the lever and the back, a spring operatin g ofthe lever and tending to bring the back to an uprightposition, and meansfor adjusting the tension of such spring, substantially as set forth.

5. In a chair, the combination with a swinging back, of a lever, a linkconnecting the lever and the back, a coiled spring, a screwthreaded boltor connecting-rod between the spring and the lever, and a nut engagingwith such bolt or rod, whereby the tension of the said springmay beadjusted, substantially as set forth.

6. In a chair, the combination with a swinging back, of an arm-framehaving a lower chambered portion, a lever, 8, mounted in said chamber, alink, 9, uniting the upper end of said lever with the back, a coiledspring, 10, mounted in the chambered portion of the arm-tram e, anadjusting screw-bolt, 11, connecting the spring with the lever, andclamping means having anexposed operating-piece, 17, for engaging withthe link, 9, to hold the parts in the positions to which they have beenadjusted, substantially asset forth.

DON J. BIGELOW. \Vitnesses:

GEORGE A. NEWELL, HENRY A. CHILns.

